MOBILE, Alabama – The fate of a coal handling terminal along
the Mobile River near Brookley Aeroplex is on hold while after a majority of
the Planning Commission decided Thursday to wait until its Feb. 6 meeting to
vote on it.

The 4-3 decision came after Councilman John Williams, the
only council member on the commission, said the city's administration should be
given an opportunity to analyze the development. Also, Williams said the
commission needed more time to digest additional information recently handed to
them pertaining to the terminal's pollution control measures.

"I find this issue to be one of the largest issues that has
faced this body, maybe the city, with regard to involvement of the community
and a potential large customer in our port," Williams said. "Most people know
of me as being business-friendly who likes to move things along. Some of these
are not easy decisions. This one is not like any decision we've made before."

The decision postpones the vote for the $140 million Blue
Creek Coal Terminal on 37 acres of property north of the aeroplex, which is the
future home of the $600 million Airbus manufacturing plant.

Not everyone wanted to see the decision postponed to
February.

Commission John Vallas said the commission has already
delayed previous votes on the development dating back to early September.

"How long is it fair to continue to hold it over?" Vallas
said. "It's just a long time. Let them make plans to go someplace else (if the commission
isn't planning to approve the development)."

Vallas along with Commissioners Victoria Rivizzigno and
Roosevelt Turner voted against the postponement. Voting in favor were Williams
and Commissioners Don Hembree, Scott Webster and Bill DeMouy Jr.

The developers of the project have since said they will take several
pollution-control measures such as controlling stockpiles of coal with misting
cannons, and transporting it throughout the facility with a continuous dust
cover.

Gary Cowles, representing Blue Creek, said he believes the
company has met the requirements of the city's ordinances – the project is
slated to be built in an industrial-zoned property where a former coke and iron
plant was once located.

He also said he wasn't sure what else Blue Creek needed to
do: He said that company representatives have met with neighborhood groups and
the Mobile BayKeeper, a local environmental advocacy group.

"We've tried to be open and meet with people to resolve
these issues," Cowles said.

Commissioners suggested that Cowles share with the public
information about how the company plans to restrict its pollution concerns.
Also, commissioners requested that Blue Creek provide examples emission control
examples at its other properties.

Greg Vaughan, an attorney who lives in the Church Street East neighborhood and organized petitions opposing the project, said he felt "OK" with the commission's decision to delay
the vote.

Vaughan said the residents simply do not want another coal
facility that will increase air pollution. He obtained signed petitions from
several neighborhood organizations in midtown Mobile as well as signed
petitions from businesses in downtown Mobile.

The petitions state opposition to the project, but support
for other industrial activity such as Austal, Airbus and APM Terminals.

Vaughan also supplied a 2007 report from McCrone Associates
which analyzed four downtown Mobile houses that exhibited considerable coal dust
pollution. Residents have said over the years that the McDuffie Coal Terminal,
one of the largest in the U.S., for creating the pollution.

Renay Phifer, a resident of August Street who lives less
than one mile from the proposed Blue Creek project, said her ceiling and attic
are "full of coal dust" and that she doesn't want to see any additional
industry that might lead to more pollution.

"Please do not put a coal terminal in our area," she said.

This story was updated at 7:23 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013, to clarify Greg Vaughan's role as resident of the Church Street East neighborhood who led a petition effort opposing the Blue Creek Coal Terminal project.